190 Hunting for Diatoms. 



fitting the community, and at the same time deriving consi- 

 derable profit from success. The method of obtaining it, by 

 means of sodium, is the best that has yet been proposed ; but 

 it is more than probable, that one far less troublesome and ex- 

 pensive will hereafter be discovered. 



HUNTING FOR DIATOMS. 



Let us suppose the diatom collector and his friends to be set- 

 ting forth, properly equipped with the necessary apparatus for 

 securing and preserving the gatherings they may meet with. 

 Here it will be as well to describe the arrangement of apparatus 

 used by the writer of this paper in his expeditions after Dia- 

 tomaceas. 



First of all, is a morocco leather bag, with a strap to go over 

 the shoulders. This bag contains several pockets, to cany a 

 dozen or more wide-necked bottles of say two-ounce capacity. 

 A smaller leather case, with six narrow one-ounce phials, with 

 wide necks, the phials slipping into partitions. This case is 

 carried in the pocket of the shooting coat when out on a trip. 



Next comes a box with small tubes and a camel-hair pencil, 

 for painting off pure gatherings, or when it is inconvenient to 

 bring home a larger quantity of the material. 



In addition to the bottles and tubes some pieces of gutta- 

 percha paper, or waterproof macintosh cloth, nine inches square, 

 are very useful to wrap up Algae, masses of Confervae, and other 

 diatom-yielding plants, into bundles, after slightly pressing out 

 part of the water. These bundles, kept from unfolding by 

 an elastic ring, are put at once into the bag. For scraping 

 the surface of mud, the sides of jetties, etc., the writer uses a 

 copper spoon, with a screw clamp, to fasten to the end of a walk- 

 ing-stick when used. On one side of the neck of the spoon 

 is riveted a small knife blade, which forms a convenient means 

 of cutting away portions of aquatic plants covered with diatoms, 

 and lifting them out of the water. 



The only lens necessary to the diatomist when out collecting 

 is a Coddington ; but the writer has found a small compound 

 hand microscope very useful occasionally. This, with some slips 

 of glass, are carried in a separate compartment of the leather 

 satchel. 



We will now suppose all these arrangements made, and the 

 diatomists, who live in some large sea-port town, are sallying 

 forth, as mentioned in the commencement of this paper. 



A knowledge of the most likely places to look for Diatomaceae 

 is only to be gained after some experience, and it is the wish of 



